Reversing-gear.



E. K. CRAIG.

R-EVERSING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, 1915.

1,177,490. Patented Mar. 28,1916.

Jig 1 1 11 5 If Ifl ERIC K. CRAIG, OF SKIDOO, CALIFORNIA.

REVERSING-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mat. 28, 1916.

- Application filed October 25, 1915. Serial No. 57,833.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ERIC K. CRAIG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Skidoo, in the county of Inyo and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Reversing-Gear, of which the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to reversing gear for internal combustion engines andparticularly engines ofthe class referred toas now incorporated in power boats of all kinds, the

object of the invention being to produce simple, compact, strong and positively acting reversing gearing whereby, with the aid of a single manually controlled lever and a male clutch member operated thereby, the driven shaft may be revolved in either one direction or the other while the driving shaft is rotating constantly in the same direction, the reversing of the driven shaft being accomplished without. throwing any toothed gears into or out of mesh and thereby avoiding clashing of the gears and all danger of stripping the teeth thereof.

With the above and other ob ects in view,

the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a plan 'view of the reversing gear of this invention. Fig. 2 is a diametrical section through one of the large gears. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sliding clutch sleeve and male clutch member. Fig.4 is a similar view of one end of the driving shaft. Fig. 5 is an end view of the driving shaft and male clutch member combined. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the relation of the reversing lever to the sliding sleeve and driving shaft.

In constructing the reversing gear of this invention I provide a stout substantially rec tangular supporting frame designated generally at A and comprising the side bars 1, end bars 2 and an intermediate cross bar 3.

4 designates the driving shaft which is usually the engine shaft or an extension thereof, 5 designating the driven shaft which in a boat or vessel is usually the propeller shaft or an extension thereof. Both of these shafts 4 and 5 are rotary but are longitudinally immovable.

The shaft 4 has mounted loosely thereon a bevel gear 6 which is cored out or recessed as shown at 7 .to leave an internal conical clutch face 8, the gear 6 thus forming a' female clutch member having an extended sleeve-like hub 9 which revolves in a bearing 10 fastened to the intermediate cross bar 3 of the frame A. The propeller shaft 5 has fast thereon another bevel gear 11, the counterpart of the gear 6 above described and disposed in reverse relation to the gear 6 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The gear 11 is shown as fastened to the driven shaft 5 by means of a key 12. Other bevel gears 13 and 14 preferably smaller thanthe gears 6 and 11 for the sake of compactness are j ournaled upon stud shafts 15 and 16 having a fixed relation to the frame A.

Mounted on the driving shaft 4 is a clutch sleeve 17 which is slidable longitudinally of said driving shaft and which carries a double cone-shaped male clutch member designated generally at B and comprising the oppositely tapering conical faces 18 and 19adapted to respectively engage the clutch face 20 of the gear 11 and the clutch face 8 of the gear 6 according to the direction in which the sleeve 17 and the male clutch member B are shifted. Intermediate the clutch faces l8'and 19, the clutch member B is shown as provided with an interme- V diate cylindrical face 21. The driving shaft 4 is provided at its extremity with fixed keys or ribs 22 which are received in key ways or grooves 23 in the inner face of the clutch sleeve 17 as shown in Fig. 5-. This i enables the sleeve 17 and the clutch member B to be slid longitudinally of the driving shaft 4 while causing said parts to always revolve together.

24 represents a combined bearing and thrust collar for the driven shaft 5 when used as the propeller shaft of a boat or vessel, the bearing-24 being in turn held in place by another bearing 25 on the frame A. At the opposite end of the frame A is another bearing 26 for the driving shaft 4.

27 designates a collar fastened to the shaft 4 by means of a set screw 28 enabling said collar to be adjusted to the desired point along said shaft. The collar 27 is provided with radially extending arms 29 to the outer 7 ends of which are pivotally connected clutch to a head piece or flange 33 fast on the sleeve 17 above described. 7 A stout coiled expansion spring 34c=is interposed between the collar 27 and the head piece or flange 33 and serves to press the clutch into engagement with the internal clutch face 20 forstraight ahead drive. Slidable along the driving shaft l is a spreader 35 which is shiftable by means of a hand lever 36 carr ing a latch 37 adapted to engage any one of a plurality of notches 38 in a rack 39. The,

lever 36 has a pin and slot connection at 40 with a ring'll fitting loosely in an annular groove 42 in thespreader 35.

The spreader is formed with a relatively small conical face 43 followed by a'cylindricaldwell face 44; in turn followed by a relatively large cone face 45 and terminating in a larger dwell face @6. In the operashownin Fig. ,6: This results in compressing ,tl1e-spring, 342 and shifting the other clutch face of the clutch B; into engagement withthe clutch face 8 thereby driving the shaft 5 in the opposite directionforthe purpose. of backing the boat, vessel, or other vehicle in connection: with which the reversing gear :is used.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will now be understoodthat when the reversing lever 36 is moved in one direction,the clutch. member B whichis constantlydriven by the driving, shaft 4 will engage the internal clutch face 20 ofi the V gearill, causing the driving shaft and the driven shaft to rotate at the same speed. hen the mechanism is used in a boat or vessel, this direction of rotation ,drivesthe boat ahead. In order to reverse the direction of rotation of the driven sl1aft-5,-the reverse lever 36is .movedin the opposite direction thereby causingthe clutch member B to engagethe clutch face 8 of the gear 6.

The drive is then from theshaft 4t through the gear 6, gears 13 and ll and gear 11 to the drivenshaft. WVhen the twoshaftsare in direct drive, the gear 6 revolves loosely aroundthe sleeve 17. In either direction of rotation, both the drivingshaft' andthe driven shaftwturn at the same speed. The gears always remain in mesh thus eliminating any clashing or stripping: of the same when changing the direction of rotation of the driven. shaft. The sliding clutch sleeve is mounted on the engineshaft and is slidable thereon. and, furthermore, is short'so as to render the gearing as compact as possible. Furthermore, there are but four friction faces, two on the member B and one in'the gear 6 "and one in the gear '11. Further:

more, there is no pressure on the head piece 33 thus eliminating all but rotary'rfriction except when the clutch is being i actually.

shifted in one direction or the other.

Having thus described my: invention, 1

claim 1. In: reversing. gear; the combination; of a supporting frame, a. driving shaft, ,2.

driven shaft in line with said dl'ivingshaft, a,

a bevel gear'fast ionthe Idriven shaft and cored out to providea: female ,clutch'face, a 7

female clutch face, other bevel gearsv interposed between the aforesaid gears .andjjonrnaled onqshafts having a fixed relatiomto' the supporting fram.e,=,a clutch sleeve ;-su rrounding and slidable'. lengthwise of the bevel gear normally loose inrelationto and; surrounding the driving; shaft,; the. last named geanbeingcoredyout to providea driving shaft; and through the adjacent gear.

having the female {clutch face, means for:

shifting said sleeve, and a double faced conie cal male clutch -member carried bysaid clutchsleeve iand shift'able into e gagement 1; witheither one of'said; female clutchf-aces:

said sleeve being feathered to the-driving;

shaft; j 1 1 2. In reversinggear, the combination of a supporting frame, a driving shaft, a driven shaft in line therewith, a clutch sle,eve;featb-' ered toand slidable longitudinally ofsaiid driving shaft, a double conical male clutch;

member carriednby said :clutch sleeve. and bearing a fixed relation thereto, a'bevelgear fast on the driven shaft, anothenbevel gear loosely journaled on said clutch sleevegbjoth of said :gears being:;provide d withfemaleclutch faces ,to-b'e engaged; one at a timeby the corresponding; clutch faces of the male clutch member, and means for shiftingsaid clutch sleeve. v i

3. In reversing gear, the combination ofrfln supporting frame, a driving shaft,-a drivena shaft in line therewith, a clutch sleeve feathl ered. to and slidable longitudinally ofrsaid driving shaft, a doubletconical maleclutch member carriedaby said iclutch; sleeve and bearing a fixed relation thereto, a bevel'gear fast on the driven shaft,hanother bevel gear loosely journaled onsaid clutch-sleeve, both: of saidgears beingprovided with female clutch faces to be engaged one at :atime'by the correspondingclutch faces of "the male clutch 'member, means for; shifting-said clutch sleeve, the clutch sleeve shifting: means comprising a zmanually controlled lever,- a spreader surrounding the driving: shaft and, shiftablelongitudinally thereof by means of said lever, a collar .fast on said In testimony whereof I afiix my signature driving shaft, clutch dogs pivotally carried in presence of two witnesses. by the last named collar and adapted to be ERIC CRAIG forced apart by said spreader, links con- 5 necting said dogs with the clutch sleeve, and Witnesses:

an expansion spring interposed between the P. A. BLUNK, last named collar and said clutch sleeve. R. W. LANDRUM.

Copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

